Well obviously the music is the main thing about this book and the entire series and it's a great way to introduce the little ones to classical music. However... I still feel like it lacked story wise - the story is oversimplified and it's a shame. Either commit to the illustrations (which were great) and the music and let them do the talking, either try better with the written words too.

‘My First Story Orchestra: Swan Lake’ by Jessica Courtney-Tickle introduces young readers to the classic ballet tale of Swan Lake. The book aims to simplify the story and incorporate music to make the experience engaging for very young children. However, its simplicity might leave some readers wanting more depth.

Plot: ★★★☆☆

The plot is very simplified, offering only a surface-level glimpse into the story of Swan Lake. While it does provide a basic introduction to the narrative, it may not capture the full richness of the classic ballet, leaving readers with a minimal understanding of the story.

Character: ★★★☆☆

The characters are portrayed in a simplified manner, which might be expected given the book's target age group. While they are cute and recognizable, the depth and development of characters from the original ballet are not fully explored.

Illustrations: ★★★★☆

The illustrations are stunning and beautifully crafted. They capture the essence of the ballet's elegance and charm, adding a visual appeal that complements the story, even if the narrative itself is quite basic.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆

Engagement may be moderate. The inclusion of musical elements can be captivating for young children, but the overall simplicity of the plot and character presentation might not hold their attention for long, especially if they are already familiar with more detailed versions of the story.

Readability: ★★★☆☆

The readability is appropriate for very young children, with simple text and a clear narrative structure. However, the simplicity of the story may make it less engaging for older toddlers who might seek a more in-depth exploration of Swan Lake.

Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆

The book is likely to be enjoyable for babies and young toddlers who are just beginning to explore stories and music. However, for those seeking a more comprehensive introduction to Swan Lake, there are other options that offer a richer portrayal of the ballet's narrative and characters.


‘My First Story Orchestra: Swan Lake’ by Jessica Courtney-Tickle provides a charming and visually appealing introduction to the classic ballet for very young children. While it offers a simplified plot and character representation, the stunning illustrations and incorporation of music can make it a delightful read for its intended age group. However, for those looking for a deeper understanding of Swan Lake, other resources might offer a more comprehensive experience.

I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful, and it is a shame the history isn't complete it's a great start for a little one. The book has music that you can hear and match with the story, so it will be great for any parent or school who wants to introduce the little ones to the world of ballet.
I've been looking forward to buying it or adding it to our kid's library.
Thank you so much for NetGalley allowing me to read and hear this beautiful book

This book was adorable! I will be purchasing it for a friend that's about to have a baby girl. The illustrations were beautiful.

Thank you so much to Quarto Kids/ Francis Lincoln and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

I always love the story of the Swan Lake, it’s such a stunning ballet, I loved the concept with this book that it plays 10 seconds of music for each page of the story that you read and as you look at it with your child you hear the gorgeous music.

I loved that the important parts of this beautiful story were shared, though it’s sad how short it is and that some parts get cut, I do understand this is for little ones and so it is kept shorter but it’s such a magical story that it would have been nicer for a little more.

The illustrations are just stunning, the beautiful ballerrinias were just gorgeous and it’s so bright and I really enjoyed looking at the illustrations throughout this book and know that families reading and looking at these together would adore the illustrations.

I think is great for 1-2 year olds. The story is short enough to allow them to keep turning pages. The pictures are beautiful and detailed enough to invite them to ask questions and point to what they like. It’s really cute!

What a beautiful and diversely illustrated version of Swan Lake. The story was made accessible to small children whilst also keeping them engaged.

Would have loved to have given 5 stars however as I had a digital copy I could not play the music. Think the music would make this the perfect addition to your child’s collection.

This short board book is an ideal way to explain the story of Swan Lake to very young children. The beautiful illustrations and straightforward narration bring this classic story to life and I look forward to experiencing a physical copy of this book to hear the included music clips.

A really good quick summary of Swan Lake. This must be for a board book. Sometimes publishers just slaughter the story, but I was really impressed with the succinct way they told it. Diverse skin tones for the characters in the illustrations as well.

Just like the Nutcracker book from this series, I loved the illustrations but I think that the writing could have gone a bit further with descriptions, especially in terms of plot development. The plot just moved too quickly for me, and in turn it doesn't fit with the age group for whom this book is intended. In other words, there isn't enough substance here for young readers, but the story is too advanced for babies. But, also like I said, the drawings were absolutely beautiful. Kids will love this! I just wish that I could say they would adore the story, too. With some editing they definitely will, but not as the book is right now. Kudos to the author for bringing "Swan Lake" back into the game of kids' books.

This title , which is beautifully illustrated, tells the story of Swan Lake in the simplest terms. What makes the hard copy of this book special is that a child can hear excerpts from the music.

A nice title for a young child. There are others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a fun and simple way to introduce children to both classical music and theater. The vivid illustrations will keep children returning to this book over and over. I wish I could have heard the accompanying music, as I am positive it will add significantly to the overall charm of this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the arc, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The illustrations in this are absolutely beautiful! I'd love to read it when I can hear the sound clips too. And would love if it was maybe two illustrations longer.

The illustrations in this book were fantastic! I loved the simplification of the Swan Lake Story that would definitely engage children and get them into ballet! This was a fun book! I’d get it for kids in my life!

As someone who has never watched Swan Lake, this book was a great introduction to it and I loved the beautiful illustrations. This book is definitely aimed at babies or toddlers so there is a sentence on each page and a button to listen to a musical extract. Unfortunately I wasn't able to access the music in this proof copy however I do think the combination of the illustrations and the music would make this a really fun read. As a child I loved books which had sound effects so I know the physical copy of this book will be really engaging and interactive.

Overall this is a really fun idea for a series and I adored the illustrations!

Such a lovely introduction to a classic story. This is a great way to introduce young kids to the story of Swan Lake and I love the idea of having music samples with the book and the illustrations are beautiful

Simple, easy introduction to Swan Lake with lovely illustrations. The proof copy I read has musical samples, but I was not able to activate them so no comment on the music. But the book provides an easy introduction to Swan Lake.

As the description says, this is a very cute introduction for babies and toddlers to classical music.
I find it super important to introduce children to the arts as soon as possible, and this is a way to make things so accessible.
It is an easy and quick way to get them acquainted with such a famous story.

If there was anything I'd had to critique, I would say that while the drawings are very pretty, they feel a little old fashioned.

Lovely, very simple story. Beautiful illustrations. I was not able to access the music but I think that would be a great addition to the story and introduction to classical music.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Courtney-Tickle, and Quarto Publishing for providing me with an early digital copy in exchange for a review.

I read this story with my daughter (under 1 yr). She enjoyed looking at the pictures and touching the tablet screen. So, I do plan on purchasing this when it comes out. I was unable to get the music to work on my phone (if it was even possible for the digital version), but I love Tchaikovsky.

This is me being picky, but I do wish there was a bit more complexity to the story - there's so much to pull from the original source material. But that's just me. My daughter will still enjoy the book.